Manchester United widen scope of £2bn stadium plans with new partnership

Manchester United have taken another step towards building a new £2bn stadium by entering into a strategic partnership with local authorities.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has prioritised a new home for the club since buying a minority stake and taking over the running of all football-related matters late last year.

United announced on Monday that they have entered into a partnership with Trafford Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to develop the project.

The move will see an independent director lead an advisory team tasked with ensuring the development aligns with plans for 5,000 new homes and retail space at Trafford Wharfside.

Ratcliffe wants to replace an increasingly decrepit Old Trafford with a 100,000-seater stadium which City A.M. revealed is likely to be a brand new construction rather than a rebuild.

“Greater Manchester has a strong claim to be the biggest footballing city-region on the planet,” said Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.

“The future of Old Trafford is the next chapter of that story, and we have a chance now to make sure it’s written properly.

“With this new partnership we have the expertise, the vision, and the passion to drive forward the regeneration of the Trafford Wharfside area, and deliver real benefits for the community, the fans, and for the economy across the North.”

Burnham also sits on United’s Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, which is chaired by Lord Coe and also includes former club captain Gary Neville.

Ratcliffe has made no secret of his desire for public funding for a project that has been billed as a “Wembley of the North” and estimates suggest will cost £2bn.

Lord Coe said: “The objective of this once-in-a-generation project is not only the development of a world-class stadium for the north of England, but also to ensure that this brings broad social and economic benefits to the local area and surrounding region. 

“There is a huge opportunity to connect Trafford Wharfside regeneration with the ongoing growth of neighbouring Media City in Salford, and Greater Manchester’s Western Gateway and Central Growth Cluster plans, to create a project of national significance. The tripartite advisory team will help fully unlock this incredibly exciting potential.”

A 100,000-capacity stadium would be the biggest in Britain, eclipsing Wembley by 10,000, and in Europe behind only Barcelona’s rebuilt Camp Nou, which will seat 105,000.